IRCC is Opening 2024 Caregiver Pilot Program Applications

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is all set to accept applications for the 2024 Caregiver Pilot Program starting 1st January 2024. On this date, the cap will be reset, and applications will be received for two caregiver pilot initiatives, i.e.

• the Home Childcare Provider Pilot and
• the Home Support Worker Pilot under the Direct to Permanent Residence category.

These programs target applicants with caregiving work experience and were firstly launched in 2019, with an expiry date set for June 17, 2024. Notably successful, these pilot programs saw approximately 1,100 caregivers and their family members attaining permanent residency in 2022.

IRCC encourages eligible applicants to apply as soon as possible. The cap for online applicants in the Home Child Care Provider Pilot (1,000) for 2023 was reached on April 14, 2023, although there are still available spaces for the Home Support Worker Pilot in the same year, as per the website.

Reduction in the work experience requirement in 2023

In an important development in February 2023, IRCC announced a reduction in the work experience requirement for caregivers from 24 to 12 months of full-time work, affecting around 90 percent of caregiver immigration program candidates. Full-time work is defined as 30 hours of paid work per week, and the work experience must be acquired within 36 months before submitting the application. Work experience added as a student is not eligible.

Applicants are required to fulfil other criteria, such as having work experience falling under National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes 4411 or 4412, with the work aligning with the NOC job description and covering most main duties.

Extra unchanged requirements for candidates in 2023 comprise showing language proficiency with Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5, having 1 year of Canadian post-secondary education or its foreign equivalent, and passing an admissibility check covering health, criminality, and security.

For caregivers ineligible for PR (permanent residency) under these programs, an alternative is to apply for a work permit extension through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). To do so, the employer must acquire a positive or neutral Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), showing the need for a foreign national to fill a definite position. TFWP employees operate under closed work permits, restricting them from working for any other employer in Canada.

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To check your eligibility for the most appropriate Canadian immigration and apply to the same to obtain Canada PR this year, you may contact the trusted Immigration Advisor at Visas Avenue on Toll-Free No. 78-18-000-777 or e-mail us at info@visasavenue.com.

- Rajneesh Kumar